Organogenesis in a dish: Modeling development and disease using organoid technologies

Abstract

The making of bodies part by part Mention of organoids—organlike structure growing in a Petri dish—might conjure up images of science fiction. However, the generation of organoids is very real, as is the increased understanding of organ form and function that comes from studying them. Lancaster and Knoblich review organoids as structures that include more than one cell type of an organ that exhibit structural and functional features of the natural counterpart. Knowledge of normal organ developmental pathways guides the formation of these structures. Organoids show great promise for modeling human development and disease and for biomedical research and regenerative medicine. Science , this issue 10.1126/science.1247125